The present invention relates to devices for picking up animal droppings and more particularly for use relating to domestic animals such as cats and dogs.
Pet waste is now considered to an environmental problem of major proportions. As a result, many communities have been enacting regulations requiring pet owners to dispose of solid waste material deposited by their pets on public streets and parks.
Accordingly, a variety of scoops, scrapers, pans and related receptacles or containers have been provided for effecting removal and subsequent disposal of solid pet waste. One of the more frequently employed varieties of such prior receptacles consists of a two piece-hinged or or jaw-like waste enclosure having an elongated handle with which to manipulate the enclosure to pivot between open and closed positions in picking up waste material deposited on the ground. However, this type of receptacle is relatively expensive and somewhat awkward to carry around, thereby, increasing the burden on the pet owner of the obligation to clean up after the pet.
Another known type of waste removal aid consists of a disposable pan into which pet waste is pushed or shoveled. The pan is formed from a folded blank into an open-ended box having a flat shovel-like extension at the open onto which the waste material can be pushed. Disposable pans of this type, however, while convenient in many respects, have suffered from the disadvantage of requiring the pet owner to carry a separate shovel or pusher implement with which to scrape or push the waste material off the street and into the pan.
These and other disadvantages of the previously known waste removal implements are obviated by the present invention.
It is an object of the invention to provide a novel animal droppings pickup device that is compact and light in weight.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a novel animal droppings pickup device that is economical to manufacture and market.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a novel animal dropping pickup device that doesn't require a person to touch the animal droppings.
It is another object of the invention to provide a novel animal droppings pickup device that is reusable and doesn't require the device to washed between uses since the animal droppings do not come in direct contact with either the tray or cover member.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel animal droppings pickup device that functions to wrap the animal droppings in a disposible package during its operation.
It is an additional object of the invention to provide a novel animal droppings pickup device that is easily carried about by the pet owner.